David Miami, the agency behind so many clever BK campaigns in recent years,
made the new spot. It’s very different than the “Bullying Jr.” PSA, but in
some ways works similarly.

In place of the more emotional and poignant ending of that earlier spot,
here we get a more plainly hostile vibe from the patrons—which fits the
issue at hand better. If you were served a mashed-up burger, you’d be
mostly confused; if you’re openly denied good service, you’d probably get
annoyed pretty quickly.

There’s plenty of cursing in between the baffled looks; a few patrons even
make a move to snatch their Whopper away from the BK employees. There’s a
dose of
“Whopper Freakout” in here, and you get the sense that the stunt could easily have turned
violent—thankfully, it didn’t.

“When it comes to the internet, consumers and innovators deserve to have it
their way -- not big corporations,” Connecticut’s Richard Blumenthal,
another Democratic senator, said in
a tweet.

Others were critical of Burger King’s foray into politics.

Bloomberg
continued:

“Burger King
understands net neutrality even less than their people-on-the-street, who
at least know they are ignorant,” tweeted Phil Kerpen, president of the
group American Commitment, which backed the Republican proposal to roll
back Obama-era rules.

Some were impressed with the company, singing its praises as they never
imagined they would:

Adweek argued
that the issue is a perfect fit for Burger King’s brand:

While not quite as inspired as “Bullying Jr.,” the “Whopper Neutrality”
stunt is amusing to watch and certainly puts the issue in the plainest,
most relatable terms. And once again, it’s right on brand for the “Have it
your way” marketer.

“We believe the internet should be like Burger King restaurants, a place
that doesn’t prioritize and welcomes everyone,” says Fernando Machado,
Burger King’s global chief marketing officer. “That is why we created this
experiment, to call attention to the potential effects of net neutrality.”

Recode
said the move was a shrewd attempt to pick up millennial supporters:

It is the age of brands — or rather, #woke brands, those hyper-aware
corporate behemoths with gargantuan marketing departments that see in every
social and political cause du jour an opportunity for 15 minutes of web
infamy.

Net neutrality may seem like a wonky telecom battle with little relevance
to a fast-food giant. But it hasattracted millions of
Americans’ comments and seemingly touched a nerve, particularly among
millennials — a fickle crowd that Burger King seeks now to court with its
ads.

Here are three lessons for communicators looking to replicate Burger King’s
“woke” messaging:

1. Let your message speak for itself.

You could be tempted to jump into the comments—once it’s gotten thousands
of shares and retweets—to respond to people voicing their disapproval.

Don’t.

Burger King chose to tackle a controversial subject and should expect the
naysayers to come out of the woodwork. It took the correct path by letting
its video do the talking and avoid getting dragged into an argument in the
comments section.

2. Show; don’t tell.

Burger King could have released a very different kind of video, in which
its CEO would deliver a heartfelt plea for Americans to come together to
support net neutrality. Instead, it showed how customers felt about a
“lane” system that delayed their instant gratification.

By demonstrating the problem instead of just sounding off, Burger King
shifted the argument away from whether it was a trustworthy messenger—and
focus on the issue instead. Brand managers looking to take a stand on their
own social or political issue can learn from Burger King’s deft move and
refrain from making it all about them.

3. Include a call to action—other than buying your product.

An authentic message will avoid a crass play for internet fame and sales
and instead stay true to its intent in moving the needle on the issue at
hand. That means, whatever your call to action looks like, it shouldn’t ask
your audience to buy your product.

Burger King’s video ended by directing viewers to the Change.org petition
asking the government to restore net neutrality. The move was a simple yet
necessary component of its campaign. If it tried to pivot to selling
burgers, the chain would appear to be co-opting an important social
movement, and whatever fans it might have picked up would be lost.

What do you think of Burger King’s prank video, Ragan/PR Daily readers? How would you take a stand on a controversial issue?